Thursday 1 March 2012

Question Time


David Dimbleby is joined in Dewsbury by
John Redwood, { improves with age. I used to think he was the looniest loon in a looney cabinet. One of us must be getting wiser with age.}
Rachel Reeves, {Labour's new hope. So far, so unimpressive. I talked her up last time and she was very disappointing}
Jo Swinson, Leader of libs in Scotland. The chocolate egg woman. Campaigned for less Easter egg packaging. And you thought having 650 MPs meant many of them had nothing important to do. David Starkey {QT regular. Can't help feeling 'Rapper' Starkey is only invited for ridicule.}
and Clarke Carlisle. {Footballer and was someone who was pretty good last time he was on.}

BQ thinks -
1. Phone hacking/Murdoch/Police and officials take cash for stories. A revelation so 'shocking' that C4 news runs almost nothing else. Someone will mention the horse, which has been the best bit.
2. 50p tax rate cut. - Why not cut fuel duty instead? Or VAT? Or NI? We know 50% tax reduced tax take but its a political tax. So leave it.
3.Should unions disrupt the Olympics? And did Dinosaur Len, even though he was only kite flying, really expect any reaction other than a very negative one?
4. Occupy nowhere. Out with a whimper. Was it a success in ridding the world of profits?
5. Workfare is dead. Is this a great victory for people protest?

Current Leaders

Measured -48
Dick the Prick - 45
Cityunslicker - 44

Timbo614 -43
Miss S-J - 41

Nick Drew 40
Philipa - 40

Bill Quango MP - 38
appointmetotheboard - 38
Miss CD - 34
Malcolm Tucker - 34

Botogol - 33
Hopper - 32
Budgie - 32
Sebastian Weetabix - 31


Hovis - 29
Andrew - 28
Jan - 28
GSD - 19


Amy 10
lilith - 9

Anonymous - 7
Blue Eyes - 2
James Higham - 3
John in Cheshire - 2
Mark Wadsworth -2
Dearieme - 1

27 comments:

Botogol said...

in early this week (not going to forget a second time in one series!)

- is the fuss about phase 1 of leveson going to be completey overshadowed by phase 2?

- Is the 50p tax rate actually reducing tax revenues for govt?

- the chattering classes destryed the govt's workfare scheme over an arcane feature in the rules - did they throw the baby out with the bathwater? who is in charge anyway? did the govt buckle too easily?

- should circus animals be banned

- with the end of privacy, is google now as as evil as facebook?

Malcolm Tucker said...

1. Syria - is it because there's no oil? Lets have that lazy argument again.

2. Nhs - just because it always is.

3. Murdoch - He's done a lot for football, says Clarke. James resigning is this the end?

4. Workfare. When is a climbdown not a climbdown and barely even a u-turn?

5. Old people. Is it wrong to call them worm food?

Nick Drew said...

OK well I'm going for a full house of alternatives (0 for me this week but WTH)

1. Should Huhne (or any of the bastards) be given / accept a pay-off in the circumstances?
(obsessed ? about Huhne ? moi ?)

2. is the google-monster's use of our data an outrage ?

3. should trials ever be held in secret ?

4. should johnny forriner get free AIDS treament on the NHS ?

5. should those on benefits get cheaper postage stamps ?

Hopper said...

Hmm, Dewsbury...
1. Internet privacy - do we have any left? Is Government legislation the right way to fix the issue? (Anyone know what's Facebook's privacy policy?)
2. London Tube strikes: if ukp500 bribe isn't enough to avoid Olympic disruption, why doesn't LU fire everyone and go find people who actually want a job?
3. (Shot in the dark) Was Nick Clegg right to withdraw the whip from "Mad Jen" Tonge? I'd bet Israel gets fairly short shrift in this audience.
4. 50p tax rate: does it make money or does it serve a wider social purpose? Why not 60p?
5. Koran desecration: we can't make the Afghans happy so why not stop trying and come home?

hovis said...

1. 50p tax rate, a budget for growth (does Osbourne know how?) or austerity.

2. (Random Question) Raul Moat PC dffound dead - tragic etc - should police be armed routinely - should there be an (official) death panalty for injuring killing coppers rather than the shoot to kill they already operate in such cases?

3. Leveson / James Murdoch is it enough? espcially in the light of and Police corruption.

4. Is it unacceptable to say Isreal will not always exist and should it mean automatic removal of a political party whip?

5. Unemployed Youth(s) what to do?

Miss CD said...

Tough one really. Same big issues as last week. I hope that means that we've stabilised the bad news?

1. Old folks care and NHS reform
2. Chris Huhne and the £17,000. is it right to take it? is it right that labour ministers who got theirs are complaining? Did Mandelson get 17k each time he quit? If he did it explains how he got a £5 million house.
3. Syria. Is there anything we could/should do? {Came up last week. but its worse since then.}
4. teenage pregnancy rates down for the first time in decades? Is this just a reflection of the number of teenagers also being down?
5. Murky Murdoch. Is it worse to bribe an official or to accept a bribe as an official?
At the moment it seems its the former. Can't say I agree. Hope this gets phrased as 'would you be happy if your GP was handing out your medical records to the News of the World so he/she could go on a 4th annual holiday to Tunisia?

Steven_L said...

What? Scottish woman complains about 'excess packaging'?

She does realise the classic example we all trot out to eco-warrior complainants (when explaining the legislation is really quite unenforceable) is cardboard tubes for malt whisky?

measured said...

1. How much worse will the revelations of Leveson get? Bent coppers and all.

2. Will QE come home to roost …. 50p tax rate…. Storing up problems for the future…. The right medicine at the wrong time is the wrong medicine (Keynes)

3. Panning permission reforms so they can build in England’s green and pleasant land.

4. Sorting out the House of Lords. Why bother? …. [ducks to avoid the flying tomatoes]

5. So now Qatar is sending £63m to the Syrian rebels, what’s the outlook? If any of the Panel doesn’t say grim, take them out and shoot them…. in front of their families. Actually, I don’t want to be had up for racist malicious comments in social media. This is getting risky. That was a joke.

andrew said...

1 Tragic suicide of PC Rathband - the last victim of Moat. Sad

2 Murdoch - is corruption endemic in public life - should the sun be closed as well

3 Google and Privacy - or lack of it - is privacy an obsolete concept ( an unword )

4 Workfare - good idea or source of serfdom

5 Syria - People Dying. Iran - Nukes what to do first?

Electro-Kevin said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Electro-Kevin said...

1. What's got four legs and a cunt halfway up its back ?

(Clue - this one's retired.)

Budgie said...

1. Abortion up to 5 years: should evil anti-liberal-society fascists be allowed to oppose the wise, ethical move to rid ourselves of the disabled, bed-wetting, short-sighted, dim, or just unwanted, post natal fetuses up to 16 years old?

2. Murdoch empire: should evil anti-liberal-society fascists be allowed to oppose the wise, ethical BBC Grauniad Leveson and instead buy evil rags like the Sun? Evil NI paid police for Soham scoop shock horror armageddon, which the Graunaid would nevah do (Is this right? - Ed).

3. Economy, unemployment and slave labour: should evil anti-liberal-society fascists be allowed to oppose the wise, ethical Labour call for reduced spending and tax cuts to boost the economy and increase employment? Down with slave labour says Labour!!!!

4. Schmallenberg virus: should evil anti-liberal-society fascists be allowed to oppose the wise, ethical BBC's call to tackle climate change to halt the spread of tropical diseases to Britain? Baaah!

5. Syria: should evil anti-liberal-society fascists be allowed to oppose the wise, ethical intervention in Syria to complete the wise ethical Arab spring?

Dick the Prick said...

Dewsbury, pronounced Doosbburry. Their a local motion by the Tories to split Kirklees up and get shut of Dewsbury but I doubt that'll come up.

1) Unemployment; it is a bit of a problem round here especially for kids. Doubt they'll be much resistance to Workfare, I love taking the piss out of Dewsbury folk but they all know if you want sommet then you'll have to work feritt. I hope Starkey doesn't get hyper homosexual, he's alright until he starts showing off.

2) Why not a bit of Union bashing - there's a big festival going on as 250 - 300, I dunno, celebration of the Luddites; Unions are fucking nowt round here, some new slag touting for cash. Got more Co-ops than anyone needs.

3) I'd love to say Syria but it's gonna have to be the bloody NHS again. FFS if Lansley doesn't need shooting his PR guy does. Home Care, NHS cuts, that kinda shit.

4) Europe - probably along the lines of what's the point? Maybe a veiled attack of immigration. Hmm

5) Olympics - maybe a bit light hearted but still a bit critical.

Timbo614 said...

Have to go with Andrew on the first...

1) Should the murder of PC Rathband be added to Moats crimes posthumously? If so what good does it do anyone or his family?

2) U Work-U don't turn up, U-lose. U-turn, unfair or unbelievable fuss?

3) Syria: Should we assist in arming the rebels or should we stand by because we have nothing(no oil) to lose?

4) Leveson - What is really new? U bung me I bung them, they bung plod, plod bungs sprats to catch mackerel. Mackerel bung plod, plod shits on sprats, I, you and others go around again! Can you change 'uman nature?

5) Financial wild-card: No Default by Greece? What 70% unpaid is not a default? Be wary of Greeks bearing up under default!

Philipa said...

Lov Starkey. Bit of a fan. He's always good value.

1. Workfare/welfare reforms - it's compulsory!

2. Syria, Afghanistan & war in general

3. Privacy/Google

4. 50p tax bad? Counterproductive?

5. Football/England boss.

Mark Wadsworth said...

My questions for Jo Swinson: are you by any chance Sarah Teather's half-sister? Does your mum know that your Dad played around?

Apart from that, best of luck everyone, I'm getting too old for this.

lilith said...

1. How many public sector employees have been arrested for taking bribes? Surely there at least one per journalist arrested so far?

Jan said...

1. Syria: Should we intervene?

2. Greece: Should we let the Greeks off the hook?

3. NHS (could be anything really)

4. Has anyone taken the British Citizen test? Did you pass?

5. Care of the elderly: why don't we care?

6. Cost of childcare

cheeky 6 questions

James Higham said...

Hey, I'm on the board!

Understand James and Rebekah are setting up a new surveillance firm.

appointmetotheboard said...

1. 50p tax rate. Should stay, obviously.

2. Workfare. If they only paid a living wage for the duration, I could just about get behind it.

3. Has George Osborne rescued the economy and capitalism by letting desperately hard up multinationals like WPP avoid paying tax, whilst pilfering the odd bit of small change from banks like Barclays?

4. Must be a Europe-y question with Redwood on. Now Greece has been saved (!) I'm tempted to go for Sarkozy being chased into a bar by angry socialists - ticks a lot of boxes - but I'll go for EU bureaucrats threatening the noble profit seeking of Google with their endless privacy red tape. And working time directive.

5. Long shot, but I'm going for witchcraft and or some unnecessary closet racism coupled with a go at social workers.

Miss S-J said...

Ahh just under the wire

50% tax
Syria
Occupy moves on
Circus animals
Murdoch

Bill Quango MP said...

And we're off.
Q1: Should the Chancellor resist calls from business leaders and his own backbenchers to remove the 50% tax on high earners?

Yes.. Starkey tries to explain it. He does well, but no one wants to reduce taxes on the rich. Ideology.
Immensely entertaining tonight Starkey.
Clarke does well too.

Q2 A motion by some Lib Dems describes the health and social care bill as "deeply flawed..." – are they right?

Gets stale very quickly. Its like a lotto ball that turns up every week. What does the bloke who calls the numbers have left to say? 32nd time its been drawn and is the same as the number of the house two up from mine.
Yawn.
Starkey ... just doesn't give a toss. he's laying into all the sacred cows {Not a direct reference to Swinson.}
Tweet @BillQuango dimbo - he apologised for having another NHS question this week, saying it was the #1 topic raised every week.

Q3: Isn’t it time that we accepted that in a number of cities in the UK, racial segregation is a fact of life?
Wasn't expecting that one. Anyone?
Clarke is good again.

Q4: Is the situation in Syria at a point where the UK and allies should intervene with force, regardless of Security Council approval?
Starkey uses the example of France in WW2 not wanting to be liberated. A factually accurate if immensely poor example to use.
France wanted to be seen to have aided in its liberation and not just be liberated. not the same as Syria at all.

Bill Quango MP said...

Only 4 qs
Tax -Syria-immigration-NHS.

BQ -4
Botogol - 4
Malcolm Tucker - 6
Nick Drew - hmm - 2
Hopper - 4
Hovis -3
Miss CD - 6
CU -3
Measured - 6
Andrew - 4
EK ?
Budgie - fun answers - 5
Dick the Prick You swapped correct for another . Still managed -5
Timbo614 - 4
Philipa - 6
MW - we shall call upon you next season
Lilith - wrong! but 1 for turning up
Jan - 6 {+2 for the citizenship which was close to the immigration Q. -1 for too many questions} - 7
JH - yes. And you get 1 just for showing up -1
appointmetotheboard : Bit random. but if i allow witchcraft as an immigration Q - 5
Miss S-J just in time - 6

This weeks
Winner is Jan with 7

Electro-Kevin said...

Answer: A retired police horse.

Sebastian Weetabix said...

Oh dear! Missed it again. Thank goodness there's no decent whisky on offer. I'd be seriously cut up about it if that were the case.

Bill Quango MP said...

Thanx Kev.
SW - Poor show. A point for turning up added next week.

Sebastian Weetabix said...

I have a good excuse. Me and the memsahib were reliving our youth last night, attending an Australian Pink Floyd gig. Most excellent, even down to the enormous inflatable Kangaroo. I highly recommend them.